Telephone-controlling device.



N0. 891,961; PATENTED JUNE 30, 1908. N. SILVERSON.

TELEPHONE CONTROLLING DEVICE.

' APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2, 1906.

2, SHEETS-SHEET 1.

anvzufoz No. 891,961. PATENTED JUNE 30, 1908. N. SILVERSON. TELEPHONE CONTROLLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2', 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IV. 6 z'lzra 7190274 NATHAN SILVERSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TELEPHONE-CONTROLLING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 30, 1908.

Application filed November 2, 1906. Serial No. 341,747.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHAN SILVERsON, a

citizen of the United States, residing at New York, N. Y., have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone-Controlling Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The object ot'this invention is to provide a telephone with improved means for preventing its being used by unauthorized parties as in the absence of the subscriber or his representative. I

A further object is to provide improved means for enabling incoming calls to be received although the telephone be looked as against the institution of its use for trans mitting messages.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a telephone box equipped with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a similar view taken through the front of the box. Fig. 3 shows the coin mechanism removed. Fig. 4 illustrates a detail.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the telephone box commonly employed for the instruments which are secured permanently to a wall. 2 is the receiver supported by hook 3 on the free end of a lever 4. These parts are, of course, as ordinarily made and installed, the removal of the receiver from its hook causing the lever 4 to rise and close the circuit as by engaging a contact indicated at 5, the electromagnet 6 efl'ecting through its armature the operation of the signal bell for incoming calls.

My invention comprehends an improved mechanical device by which the lever 4 may be positively locked in its lowered position, that is, out of engagement with contact 5, so that even if the receiver 2 be removed from its hook the lever will still be held down as against the tension of its spring 7. This device I have shown comprising a plate 8 having two depending arms 9, 10, and formed with ears 12 through which a pintle 13 is passed to form a pivotal support, one end of the pintle being extended into the frame of the box and the other passed through an aperture in an ear 14 extending from a bracket 15 secured to the wall 16 of the box 1. The plate 8 is thus free to swing outwardly from the wall 16 of the box, or in a plane at right angles to that in which the lever 4 moves. I have shown the plate provided at its top with ahook-shaped portion 17 extending toward the wall 16 of the box adjacent the car 14 of the bracket 15. This hook-sha Jed portion may be formed by a lip or llange "ormed integral with the )late. The ear 14 is slotted in alinement wit 1 the hook 17, as at 18, so that the free end 19 of a trip arm 19 pivoted as at 20 to the wall 16 of the box may extend through the slot 18 and beneath the hook 17.

At 21 I have indicated a mechanical locking means which may be an ordinary tumbler lock operated by a key 22. Thls 15 shown mounted in the side wall of the box so that its bolt 23 will, when projected, extend upwardly into engagement with trip arm 19 causing the latter to be elevated as against the tension of a spring 24 and lowering its point 19 out of engagement with the tongue 17 of the plate 8. The normal disposition of this plate is such that its arm 9 is in position to hold the lever locked. When the lock 21 is in its locked position, that is, with its bolt 23 projected, the tri point 19 is out of engagement with the plate 8. This plate does not depend upon any other means than its own normal disposition in order to cause it to hold the lever 4 as against elevation. When, however, the lock is released and the trip point 19 is elevated under the action of spring 24 it will contact with tongue 17 and cause the plate to swing so that the engaging lip 25 on arm 9 will be removed from the position in which it holds the lever 4. Any appropriate means may be employed to cause the plate 8 to normally assume the described inclined position. The formation and weight of the integral tongue 1.7 projecting rearwardly, or the point at which theholes are formed in the ears 12 will cause the plate to assume an inclined position.

The ordinary form of stationary telephone box is formed with a slot or opening in its side through which the lever 4 projects, the opening being of such size as to ailord am le space for the movement of thelever. If this opening were not protected a telephone equipped with my improvement could be rendered operative by inserting a wire through the opening and removing the arm 9 so as to release lever 4. To render this impossible I have provided a shield plate 26 pivoted to the inner face of the side wall oi the box or casing 1, as at 27, and formed the shield plate with a slot 28 of su'llicient size to accommodate the lever 4, and with an end flange 29 and lips 30 and 31 adjacent the slot 28. I have also provided a keeper 32 shown in the form of a bifurcated plate, bent longi- 34 sandwich the receiver lever 4. The shield plate and keeper thus rest upon the lever 4 and are free to move up or down with the lever. The upper fork 33 constitutes the point of engagement for the lip 25 on arm 9 of the locking plate 8, the flange 29 on the 7 end of the shield plate limiting the swing of arm 9. Thus when the lever 4 is lowered the hole in the wall of the box through which it extends is closed by the shield plate and as this plate fills no oflice in controlling the locking member 8 there will be no effect upon the position of the latter caused by touching or tampering with the shield plate. At the same time the element which does co-act with the locking member, that is, the keeper 32, is concealed by and away from the shield, while the possibility of removing the locking member from the fork 33 is reduced to a minimum, if, indeed, it is not entirely avoided.

From what has thus far been said it will be seen that when the subscriber is absent it is impossible to use the telephone except by means of a key which will unlock the bolt 23, causing the trip point 19 to rise and swing the j plate 8 free of the keeper 32, whereupon the receiver may be removed from its hook and lever 4 will be free to rise and close the circuit.

It is desirable that even though the apparatus be looked as against the institution of its use for the transmissionof messages, it shall be available for use to receive calls or incoming messages, which, of course, necessitates rendering the telephone available through both the transmitter and receiver.

' 7 locked.

This I accomplish by causingthe electric current energizing the electro-magnet 6 upon a call coming in to effect the release of the means by which the receiver lever 4 is held I have shown the arm 10 on plate 8 as curved at its free end. This end is designed to lie normally adjacent the armature 35 of the signal bells so that the vibration of the armature will cause it to contact with i the extremity of arm 10 and rock the locking member 8 out of engagement with keeper 32, whereupon the lever 4 will be free to rise on removing the receiver from the hook. It is only essential to the successful accomplishment of this purpose that the person respond ing to the call remove the receiver before the signal has stopped. When. the receiver is returned to the hook after the conversation lever 4 will be lowered and the locking member will swing so as to again hold it down by its lip 25 engaging fork 33 of the keeper. It is obvious that whatever form of electromagnet may be employed the function just described may be accomplished by slight modification.

I have also provided for rendering the telephone operative by depositing a coin. The means for attaining this purpose I have indicated as contained within a housing 36 secured to the box 1 and of a formation corresponding to the depending side pieces or brackets 37 of the latter. This housing is preferably formed of sheet metal suitably stamped and bent into shape so as .to constitute a coin receptacle and has an opening in its outer wall equipped with a door 38 which may be locked by any preferred means. The means for rendering the telephone operative on depositing a coin comprises a lever 39 having one of its arms 40 lying normally within a coin slot and having its other arm 41 normally adjacent, but out of contact with, the face of locking member 8 whereby the rocking of the lever consequent upon the deposit of a coin will cause arm 41 to strike against plate 8 and swing its arm 9 out of engagement with keeper 32 and permit the receiver lever 4 to rise. I have shown lever 39 fulcrumed on a bar 42 mounted in opposite side walls of thehousing. On the inner face of one of these side walls, 43, I have shown a coin slot 44 which may be made of a metallic strip suitably bent to form a slot portion, a depending guiding surface 45 and a side or edge flange 46, the latter designed to fit against the inner face of a flange 47 formed at the inner end of the side wall 43 of the housing, the abutting flanges 46 and 47 having coincident apertures through which, and a flange 48 at the outer end of side wall 43, extends a rod 49. This rod constitutes the support for a gate 50 designed to normally close the slot 44. The gate is shown formed with ears 51 at its ends through which rod 49 is passed, one of the ears having an outward extension 52. By means of a spring 53 coiled on rod 49 and having one of its ends engaging the wall 43 of the housing and the other the gate, the latter is held in its closed position. Above the gate and adjacent the slot I have shown a plate 54 fitting between flanges 47 and 48 of the housing and having a stud or projection 55 near the central portion-of its lower edge. A rod 56 passed through the flanges of the housing bears against the stud or projection 55 and holds the plate in posi tion and forms, with the stud, a guide for arm 40 of lever 39, limits the movement thereof and prevents its accidental displacement. Thus it will be seen that all of the described parts of the coin-controlled device are held by the rods 49 and 56 and that by withdrawing these the parts may readily be removed or-repaired. This, of course, can only be accomplished when the door 38 is open since when closed it comthe bolts.

pletely covers the front of the housing and The extension 52 on one of the ears of gate 50 is connected by a cord or wire 57 to the keeper 32 which engages the receiver lever 4. y

I have shown the wall of the slot 44 formed with a recess 58 intersecting the passage near the lower end thereof. The bent extremity of arm 40 of lever 39 lies normally within this recess and hence is in the path of the coin introduced into the slot. The mechanism is designed to operate on the deposit of a five cent piece and hence the space inthe slot at the point of location of the arm 40 is slightly less than the diameter of a five cent piece so that a penny or other coin smaller in size may pass down the slot without contacting with. the lever. But a live cent piece will contact with the lever and force it laterally. At this point, however, the coin is held by gate 50 which closes the lower end of the slot. Upon the arm 40 being forced outwardly from the slot arm 41 of the lever will contact with looking mem ber 8 and free the receiver-lever 4 as previously described. The keeper 32 in its upward movement with the lever at will open the gate 50 through the medium of cord or wire 57 as against the tension of spring 53 and allow the coin to drop into the receptacle at the bottom of the housing.

At the entrance of the slot I have shown a wire spring 59 extending transversely thereof near its upper end, the purpose of the spring being to push the coin downwardly into the slot and insure its travel therethrough. The door is formed with a recess 60 registering with the slot.

The means described for attaining the several objects of my invention may, of course, be varied with regard to conforming to the location and function of the usual and necessary parts of a telephone box.

If desired the coin device may be omitted entirely without interfering with. the operation of the other parts.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a telephone apparatus, the combination with the receiver, the movable supporting lever therefor, the signal and the electro magnetic device designed to operate said signal, of a gravitating member having an arm designed to normally hold said lever as against movement, and a second arm designed to normally lie adjacent the armature of the signal electroanagnet, whereby said armature in its vibration will contact with said second arm and swing said gravitating member to release said lever.

2. In a telephone apparatus, the combination with the receiver, the movable supporting lever therefor, the signal and the electromagnetic device designed to operate said sig nal, of agravitating member consisting of a plate free to swing in a plane at right angles to the movement of said lever, said plate hav ing two depending arms, one of which normally holds said lever as against movement, while the other normally lies adjacent the armature of the signal clectro-magnet, for the purpose set forth.

3. In a telephone apparatus, the combination with the casing having a trip-arm mounted therein, a receiver and a lever therefor, of a gravitating member pivotally mounted in said casing in alinement with said trip-arm and having a contact point with which said trip-arm is designed to engage, said member being free to swing in a plane at right angles to the movement of said lever and normally holding the latter as against movement, means for locking said trip-arm out of engagement with said member, and means, operating on the release of said locking means, for causing said trip-arm to engage the contact point of said member and swing the latter 'free of the receiver lever.

4. In a telephone apparatus, the combina tion with the casing having an aperture in a wall thereof, and the movable receiver lever mounted in said casing and extending there from through said aperture, of ashield plate pivotally mounted in said casing and having a slot to accommodate said lever, said shield plate being movable with said lever and designed to form a closure for said aperture, means for locking said lever, and means for releasing said locking means.

5. In a telephone ap aratus, the combination with the movab fe receiver lever, of means for locking said lever comprising a plate having a depending arm and a laterally extending hook, means for pivotally supporting said plate to swing at right angles to the plane of movement of said lever and whereby the normal disposition of said arm will hold said lever as against moven'ient, a trip arm in proximity to said hook, means tending to draw said trip arm into engagement with said hook, to remove said plate from contact with said lever, and a lock having a bolt designed to engage said trip arm and hold it out of contact with said hook.

6. In a telephone apparatus, the combination with the receiver, the movable support ing lever therefor designed to be actuated to close the circuit when the receiver is removed therefrom, the signal, and the elect're-magnetic device having an armature designed to operate said signal, of mechanical means for locking said lever and having a contact point adjacent said arn'iature whereby the latter in its vibrations engages said contact point and effects the release of said locking means.

7. In a telephone apparatus, the combina tion with the receiver, the movable supporting lever therefor designed to be actuated to close the circuit when the receiver is removed therefrom, the signal, and the electromagnetic device having an armature designed to operate said signal, of means for locking said lever comprising a gravitating member designed to normally prevent the movement of said lever, said member having an arm normally adjacent said armature with which the latter is designed to contact in its vibrations to swing said gravitating member and release said lever.

8. In a telephone apparatus, the combination with the receiver, the movable supporting lever therefor designed to be actuated to close the circuit when the receiver is removed therefrom, the signal, and the electro-magnetic device having an armature designed to operate said signal, of means for locking said lever comprising a gravitating member de-' signed to normally prevent the movement of said lever, said member having an arm normally adjacent said armature With which the- NATHAN SILVERSON.

l/Vitnesses IsAAo Bren, FRED. S. ScnLnsmeEn. 

